1991 Vallejo helicopter crash

1991 aviation incident in California, United States March 2017 Accident TranswestHelicopter.jpg Bell 206B Jetranger similar to accident aircraft 1991 Vallejo helicopter crash October 25, 1991 Continued flight into known adverse weather Approximately six miles west of Vallejo, California, United States 38 09 11 N 122 24 45 W type:event_region:US-CA inline,title Bell 206B Corporate Mobility Inc. N 3456M 2 1 3 0 thumb|upright|The rebuilt high-tension, high-voltage tower as it appeared in May 2015 On October 25, 1991, a Bell 206 carrying rock music concert promoter Bill Graham, his girlfriend Melissa Gold, and pilot Steve Kahn crashed into a transmission tower west of Vallejo, California, killing everyone on board. April 27, 1993 NTSB Identification: LAX92LA029 https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20001212X18336&key=1&queryId=b34d69b9-68ea-4f08-b92b-3a981b73f098&pgno=3&pgsize=50 June 16, 2015 ntsb.gov National Transportation Safety Board LAX92LA029Lambert Bruce November 27, 1991 Bill Graham, Rock Impresario, Dies at 60 in Crash The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1991/10/27/us/bill-graham-rock-impresario-dies-at-60-in-crash.html June 16, 2015 0362-4331 The cause of the accident was determined to be the pilot's intentional flight into known adverse weather conditions. Accident The Bell 206B JetRanger was operating under Federal Aviation Regulation Part 91, and departed from parking lot "F" November 22, 2014 Bill Graham's Stairway to Heaven http://www.check-six.com/Crash_Sites/Graham-N3456M.htm June 16, 2015 check-six.com of the Concord Pavilion around 9:45 pm, bound for the Commodore Center Heliport (KJMC) in Sausalito, California, about 27 miles km on to the west-southwest. The pilot had received a weather briefing in which visual flight rules (VFR) flight was not recommended due to inclement weather. Before take-off, the pilot requested and received a special VFR clearance to pass through the airspace of Buchanan Field Airport in Concord, California, on a northwest heading. When the helicopter lifted off, the weather was 0.5 mi 1 on visibility, gusty winds, heavy rain, and overcast with a 200 ft -1 on ceiling.http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=35961 ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 35961 ASN archive October 24, 2008 aviation-safety.net June 16, 2015 Using pilotage to navigate from one landmark to another at an altitude just below the cloud base, the pilot proceeded through the city of Vallejo and began following California State Route 37. At 9:56 pm near the northernmost point of San Pablo Bay, the Bell 206B struck the top of a 223 foot meter on high-voltage transmission tower, located roughly 150 feet m -1 on south of CA 37, and became impaled on it. The aircraft exploded on impact and all three occupants suffered fatal injuries. Aircraft and crew The Bell 206B JetRanger registration number N3456M and serial number 1391, had an airframe total time of 6,279 hours and its last inspection was on September 9, 1991, seven logged hours before the accident. April 27, 1993 NTSB Database "Factual" https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/Results.aspx?queryId=31b984fc-aa1a-47b4-944f-d05bec2ed324 June 16, 2015 ntsb.gov National Transportation Safety Board The pilot was 42-year-old Steve Kahn, who held valid airline transport, flight instructor, and commercial certificates, with 4,541 total flight hours logged. Aftermath The helicopter became welded to the tower and a large crane was required to remove and lower it to the ground. The JetRanger was written off as damaged beyond repair. A music concert at the Concord Pavilion was interrupted for a time due to a power surge, and 23,000 homes were left without power until morning. A section of Route 37 was closed for days afterward, and the tower was later repaired. Investigation The aircraft had to be left hanging from the tower until investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) could examine it. The inquiry found the pilot had considerable geographic knowledge of the area and decided to fly VFR when conditions would indicate use of instrument flight rules (IFR). Witnesses saw the helicopter flying parallel to CA 37 at about 200 ft on -1 altitude above ground level and then explode as it collided with the tower. The area sectional chart clearly showed the location and height of the high-voltage tower. The NTSB's final conclusion was: "The pilot's intentional flight into known adverse weather, continued flight into instrument meteorological conditions, and improper altitude. Contributing to the accident were low ceilings, poor visibility, and restricted visual lookout." See also yes California Aviation 1990s 2006 Mercy Air Bell 412 crash Death of Stevie Ray Vaughan Vauxhall helicopter crash References External links Blair’s Golden Road Blog - Bill Graham: 20 years Gone Category:1991 in California Vallejo Category:Aviation accidents and incidents involving helicopters Category:Airliner accidents and incidents caused by pilot error Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in California Vallejo Category:October 1991 in the United States